Searching

Owned by Ashley Sneesby, created
Last updated: Mar 11, 2022 by Tammy Poquette
10 min read

Configuration options for the ‘Searching’ section of the Library System and Library Location.

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Searching Configuration

Go to Pika Configuration and Library Systems from the left sidebar.  

Click the Library Id number or the Edit link to gain access to the Library Systems page.

Click on the Searching tab.

Restrict Search By Library

The Restrict Search By Library is used to determine which search options to show.  Depending on this setting, Pika will show a Consortial search option as well as the basic library search.  Additional information is shown later in this document in the Repeat Search Options section. 

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Public Lists to Include

Public Lists to Include controls which public user lists will show up within the search results.  This way libraries do not have to worry about having lots of lists that are not specific to their library, or can limit to lists created by their library staff and patrons.  The drop-down menu has many choices.

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Library Boost Options

Boost By Library gives a small boost to things that your library owns.  

Boost By Library has to be turned on for the Additional Local Boost Factor to work.  

Typically, a boost of 1 or 2 is fine for the Additional Local Boost Factor.   If the value entered is more than 2, it may skew search results due to ownership. Changing the Additional Local Boost Factor has an immediate effect on search results, as it changes the search queries that are sent to the underlying Solr search engine.

There is a config.ini setting called availableAtLocationBoostValue, which sets the size of the additional boost factor. The default setting is 50. An additional boost of:
1 = boost of 51
2 = 101
3 = 151
etc.

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Allow Automatic Search Corrections

Allow Automatic Search Corrections is designed to help automatically correct phrases or words that are spelled incorrectly. The correction prompt only displays if there are no results for the user’s initial search. However, some libraries do not like that functionality and only want to see no results, so the switch allows you to disable this functionality.

Here is an example from a library that is using Allow Automatic Search Corrections.   

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Apply Number of Holdings Boost

Apply Number Of Holdings Boost helps get people to the correct item that they are looking to borrow.  One of the factors that can affect relevance is the number of copies owned by the consortium, or the library.  This does not work as well for academic or school libraries that only own one copy. Usually, the schools, colleges, and universities will turn this feature off, so the weight of items is more evenly distributed.

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Click on Search Box to see options to configure your search box.

Use Horizontal Search Bar gives libraries a longer, horizontal search box that displays above the browse categories and search results.

Here is an example of a library that is using the Horizontal Search Bar.


System to Repeat In

The Systems To Repeat In can be configured at the Library System or the Locations level.  

 

 

This is an example of Western State University using the Library System for the Repeat Search Option, and Gunnison County Library (gunnisonld) for the Systems To Repeat In. A patron would first search Western’s collections, next to the Gunnison County Library District catalog.

Repeat Search Options

The Repeat Search Options has a dropdown menu for options.  This controls what information is shown from the dropdown located under the vertical search box, or under the library’s name on the horizontal search box.

When a library uses the Repeat Search Options their patrons would be searching their local library first.  The next search might be another branch, or other schools, or a local library. If you are scoped to not see all titles by default, the repeat search in Consortium will allow you to see all titles.  

Repeat in Online Collection is used for the dropdown under the search box.  The online collection will limit the search to eBooks and audiobooks.  Unchecking it will remove this search option from the dropdown menu.

 

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Advanced Search Options

Show Advanced Search Link controls if you see the advanced search link near the search box.

Here is an example of the Advanced Search link on the vertical search box.

Here is an example of the Advanced Search link on the horizontal search box.

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Search Results

Click on Search Results to configure what is seen on search result pages.

Show Search Tools

Show Search Tools is located up at the bottom of the page after a patron either does a search or views a Browse Category.  The Search Tools is where patrons get RSS feed, email, save or export a search.

 

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Optional Record Details

Optional details to show for a record in search results determines which main details are displayed. Author will always be shown. The checked options in this image are turned on by default.

Here is an example of a few of the default Optional details shown in the search results for an item.

The Accelerated Reader and Lexile information will show up in the search results if enabled.  Here is an example of the information being shown in the search results.

In order to see the information displayed in the search results and full record display, you must also enable these features in the Full Record display.

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Always Show Selected

When the Always Show Selected Search Results Main Details option is checked, each of the selected optional details will always be displayed in search results.  It will have specific details or it will say, “Varies, see individual formats and editions” or “Not supplied”.  When off, the selected Optional details will be displayed only when the detailed information is supplied.

Here is an example of the Optional details displayed when the Always Show Selected Search Results Main Details box is checked.

Here is an example of the Optional details displayed when the Always Show Selected Search Results Main Details box is not checked.

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Search Facets

Click on Search Facets.

Toggle Labels

When the SuperScope Toggle Label, Local Collection Toggle Label, and Available Toggle Label are filled out, that information is put in the toggle button at the top of the screen.  The Available Online Toggle Label is an optional feature that is disabled by default.  When patrons click on the Available Online Label, they will get all the eBooks and eAudiobooks that are currently available or included in the Records to Include.  For the Available Online Toggle to be completely correct it will need overnight indexing, but the continuous index will update records.  The text can be customized to whatever makes sense for you.  If you remove any of the text for one of these labels, that box will go away. You can also add a special value of {display name} to the Local Collection Toggle that will automatically use the library/location display name.  This can be a time saver for libraries with lots of branches.

Here are a few examples of the SuperScope Toggle Label and Available Toggle Label.

Here is an example of a library using a Location Collection Toggle Label for their library/location.

Here is an example of the SuperScope Toggle Label, Available Toggle Label, and Available Online Toggle Label.

Here is an example of SuperScope Toggle Label, Local Collection Toggle Label, Available Toggle Label, and the Available Online Toggle Label.

If you uncheck Include Online Materials in Available Toggle materials in the Available Toggle Label will only show physical items that are available now.  The toggles require the overnight index to update.

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Library System Facet Label

The Library System Facet Label is for any items owned by a library. It is the label that will display in the Owning System facet.

Here is an example of how the Owning System is displayed.  This can be found under the facet “Narrow Your Results.”

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Restrict Owning Branch and System Facets to this library

Most libraries have the Restrict Owning Branch and System Facets to this library option turned on. When doing a search only your library will show up in the Owning System and Owning Branch for your patrons.  It is only turned off for the Union Catalog. This setting is also used for local call number search fields.

Here is an example of a library that is using the Restrict Owning Branch and System Facets to this library.  The Owning Library System and Owning Branch are restricted to just their library and branches.  This way, you do not have to see every single possible value, which only confuses patrons.

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Show Available at Any Location

The Show Available At Any Location can be used to supplement the list of your branches with a generic “Available at any Location” item to show titles that are available at any location within a consortium.

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Additional Location to Include in 'Available At' Facets

Additional Locations to Include in 'Available At' Facets allows you to include all locations within search results, but have people just see all of your branches, plus a few branches that are near your library.

Here is an example of a library that is using the Additional Locations to Include in Available At Facet.  This is allowing searching of items from the home library as well as Steamboat, Vail, Eagle, and Garfield.  When searching these locations would show under the Available At drop-down,  if they had the item available.

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Include All Records Facets

The Include All Records in Date Added Facets allows you to see the Date Added based on whoever first purchases a title (not just titles you own).  For libraries that are unscoped, this allows your patrons to place holds on items from anywhere in the consortium sooner.  Items will show up in the Added in the Last facet. The All Records In Shelving Facets will be turned only for Union Catalogs.  Individual libraries are welcome to turn these on. Items will show up in the Shelf Location facets. Include On Order Records in All Date Added Facet Values will include On Order records in the values listed in the Added in the Last facet. If this option is toggled off, On Order records will display in their own line in the Added in the Last facet.

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Facets

Facets for searching are assigned at the bottom of the Searching section. There is separate documentation for facet configuration available here or by clicking on the blue question mark above the facet configuration section.

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